The Cage - Chapter 4

With just one exchange, the black-clad assailant knew his opponent was no ordinary foe. This was a formidable enemy, but he couldn’t afford to retreat. He had to secure the box tonight.

His eyes darkened with determination. He needed to end this quickly; the longer the fight dragged on, the greater the risk of unforeseen complications as his stamina waned. He surged forward, his broadsword whistling through the air with a raspy hiss.

Liu Chunxi’s gaze remained as still as a stagnant pond. She flicked her sword in a flourish, blade clashing against blade in a relentless rhythm. The thin, moonlit edge gleamed with a cold light as their positions shifted constantly, their feet tapping lightly on the roof tiles, the sound amplified in the silent night.

The black-clad assailant locked Liu Chunxi’s sword with his broadsword. Her strength couldn’t match his, and for a moment, she couldn’t disengage her blade. Moreover, she was still clutching the box in her other arm.

Seeing a palm strike hurtling toward her, she swiftly arched backward to evade it. Simultaneously, she twisted sideways and kicked toward the assailant’s head. Forced to retract his sword arm to block the kick, the black-clad figure gave Liu Chunxi the opening she needed to yank her sword free and retreat a few steps.

Holding the box hampered her movements, so Liu Chunxi tossed it aside right in front of the black-clad figure. The man immediately lunged for it, but Liu Chunxi was just as swift, intercepting him in an instant.

The two clashed again, this time unburdened by the box. Liu Chunxi’s movements were noticeably faster, her strikes vicious and relentless, as if she intended to tear her opponent to shreds. Under her relentless assault, the black-clad figure retreated repeatedly, soon accumulating numerous wounds, including a sword thrust that pierced his shoulder.

In contrast, Liu Chunxi’s only damage was her disheveled clothing. Realizing he had no chance of securing the box tonight, the black-clad figure decided not to risk his life.

A palm strike to the chest sent him crashing to the ground. He groaned, as if spitting out blood. Liu Chunxi watched him fall, her eyes icy as she slowly approached him, sword in hand.

As she advanced, the black-clad figure struggled desperately to crawl away, but by the time she stood before him, he had barely moved.

This man is truly finished, Liu Chunxi thought with grim certainty.

As Liu Chunxi raised her longsword to strike, the black-clad figure suddenly moved, grabbing a handful of dirt and flinging it at her.

Caught off guard, Liu Chunxi was struck squarely in the eyes by the sand. She immediately retreated, but the black-clad figure still managed to slash her arm. Hearing the man flee, she mustered her strength and hurled her longsword after him.

The sword pierced the black-clad figure’s chest. He lowered his head in disbelief, staring at the blade protruding from his body as blood gurgled from his mouth. Within two breaths, he collapsed to the ground and never to rise again.

Once the pain in her eyes subsided, Liu Chunxi felt a surge of anger. She couldn’t believe she had been injured by such a weak opponent tonight. It was truly humiliating.

I wanted to interrogate him…

Reluctantly, she withdrew the sword from the man’s body. Blood spurted as the blade slid free, but she dodged quickly, avoiding most of the spray.

Liu Chunxi glared at the black-clad figure lying face-down in a pool of blood, her frustration still simmering. The hand he had used to throw the dirt seemed particularly offensive. Without hesitation, she stomped on it, grinding her heel into the flesh until the hand was a mangled mess. Only then did her anger begin to dissipate.

With a swift flick of her longsword, Liu Chunxi shook off the excess blood. She then crouched down and wiped the blade clean with a relatively clean patch of cloth from the black-clad assassin’s robes. Finally, she pressed a switch on the hilt, and the serrated longsword instantly transformed back into a shortsword.

After sheathing the sword at her calf, Liu Chunxi retrieved the box from the corner and used her qinggong to swiftly return to the manor.

******

Meanwhile, Bai Yisi had waited impatiently for nightfall. She had been moved to Ye Lin’s courtyard, sharing a room with several young maids. Once they were sound asleep, she carefully retrieved a dagger from under her pillow and crept out of the room.

She easily evaded the Shadow Guard’s surveillance. It wasn’t arrogance; the manor’s guards simply couldn’t match her stealth. She moved through the estate with remarkable freedom.

Bai Yisi crept to Liu Chunxi’s room. Staring at the dark, tightly shut door, her eyes burned with a feverish intensity. The bloodlust within her threatened to overwhelm her restraint. She licked her lips and cautiously climbed through the window.

She moved silently to the bed, its delicate curtains drawn. Through the sheer fabric, she could make out the shape beneath the covers, her eyes burning with desire.

Bai Yisi repeatedly imagined the Princess asleep, convinced she must look utterly beautiful.

She recalled their brief eye contact earlier that day. The Princess’s gaze had been serene, composed, and restrained, as if a wild beast were caged within. That single glance had sent her blood surging through her veins, clamoring for release.

A faint smile played on Bai Yisi’s lips as she slowly lifted the bed curtains with her dagger. But when she saw what lay inside, her movements froze.

The bed… was empty.

Bai Yisi’s smile stiffened. She stared at the bed in disbelief, then frantically threw back the covers.

No one… there was no one in the bed.

She narrowed her eyes, then climbed onto the bed with a manic energy, tearing through every corner. But Liu Chunxi was still outside; even if Bai Yisi dismantled the bed entirely, she wouldn’t find her there.

It seemed the Princess truly wasn’t in the bed, nor in the room. Otherwise, someone would have attacked when Bai Yisi exposed her back. But no one had moved, confirming she was alone.

Frustration welled up in Bai Yisi’s heart. Without finding the Princess, she couldn’t kill her, complete her mission, or claim that perfect face.

Clenching her jaw, Bai Yisi repeatedly rubbed her fingers against the dagger’s blade. Then, she pressed her fingertip firmly against the sharp point, drawing a thin line of blood from the tiny wound. She paid it no mind.

This act snapped her out of her rage. She stared at the bed for a long moment before a silent smile crept across her face.

Interesting, she thought. This princess is more intriguing than I imagined.

She had always been drawn to interesting people.

What to do now?

She found herself reluctant to kill the princess.

After smoothing the bed back into its original state, Bai Yisi stood there, staring at it for a long time. Only when she heard sounds from outside did she snap out of her trance and immediately vault out the window again. Instead of leaving, she hid around the corner of the wall, knowing the princess had returned.

Liu Chunxi climbed through the window, her senses was on high alert as she scanned the room. After circling the room, she tossed the box onto the bed. By then, Bai Yisi had already quietly positioned herself outside the window and eavesdropping on the movements within.

Liu Chunxi didn’t light a lamp, but the darkness posed no obstacle to her vision. Having traveled through the night for so long, she was well-accustomed to such conditions. Even though her movements reopened the wound she had just staunched, her expression remained unchanged.

The darkness held no sway over Liu Chunxi, nor over Bai Yisi. As she watched Liu Chunxi’s movements, her eyes widened in surprise. She hadn’t expected the princess to act this way, but the way she removed her clothes… it was quite a sight to behold.

In the dimness, Bai Yisi noticed dark streaks emerging on Liu Chunxi’s arm, like venomous snakes coiling around it. She knew it was blood, and that only heightened her excitement.

Blood… crimson blood…

Bai Yisi felt a pang of frustration with the darkness. If only there were light, she could witness the crimson blood seeping from the wound, tracing its slow descent along the exquisite lines of Liu Chunxi’s arm.

She had always thought Liu Chunxi suited the color red. Now, as she mentally replayed the scene before her, Bai Yisi’s eyes gleamed in the night like those of a predator stalking its prey.

Her blood surged and screamed within her veins, a primal force pounding against her skull. Bai Yisi’s hands clenched and relaxed, clenched and relaxed, as she carefully regulated her breathing, determined not to let her heavy breaths betray her presence to the person inside.

Bai Yisi devoured every detail of Liu Chunxi with greedy eyes: her expression, her movements, the way she bit her lip against the pain, the tremor in her arm…

Suddenly, Bai Yisi felt a string snap in her mind, buzzing incessantly. A silent smile stretched across her face, the corners of her lips curving upward so high it looked almost frightening.

Rumor had it that the Princess, said to be too weak to lift a chicken, had ventured out at night in dark clothing and been injured.

How intriguing.

Bai Yisi made a decision: she wouldn’t kill this person tonight, nor tomorrow night. She wouldn’t kill them until she uncovered the secrets hidden within this Princess.

Having made up her mind, Bai Yisi stopped watching. Before leaving, she cast a lingering, longing gaze at Liu Chunxi’s wound, her eyes burning with desire.

Shortly after Bai Yisi departed, Liu Chunxi finished tending to the wound on her arm. She walked to the window, a dark glint surfacing in her eyes, and closed it.

Who had been standing outside just now?

That person’s martial arts skills surpassed her own. If not for a few moments when their breathing grew heavier, she wouldn’t have noticed their presence. But she couldn’t tell how long they had been lurking outside, and she couldn’t act rashly within the palace grounds.

The person had merely observed, making no other moves. Yet for a fleeting moment, she had sensed their killing intent. Why hadn’t they struck?

Was their target this box?

Liu Chunxi frowned, glancing at the box beside her, a growing unease stirring within her.

Unable to make sense of it, Liu Chunxi simply stopped thinking about it. The person was in the shadows, while she was in plain sight. Whatever their motive, she would know when the time came.

******

The next day, Bai Yisi was still asleep when someone shook her awake.

“Hong Hua, wake up! Time to work. If you’re late, Manager Zhang will punish you.”

Bai Yisi yanked the blanket over her head, countless possibilities flashing through her mind. Why can’t I just kill this noisy little bird right now?

Do I really have to get up right now?

Do I really need to uncover Liu Chunxi’s secrets?

Fine, I’ll get up now.

Bai Yisi thought of the secrets hidden within Liu Chunxi, forcing the malice in her heart back into her body.

She sat up as if boneless. The previous night’s excitement had kept her awake long after returning here, and the bed was far too hard, leaving her with a stiff back and aching waist.

Qing He, growing anxious at Bai Yisi’s sluggish movements, worried both about missing breakfast and about abandoning her. She hopped around nervously beside the bed.

Bai Yisi couldn’t stand it any longer and waved her hand irritably. “If you’re in a hurry, you can go ahead. I remember the way.”

“Alright, then I’ll go first. Don’t be late, Sister!” Qing He’s face lit up with relief as she hurried away.

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